Essay, Research Paper: Bed And Breadfast Business Plan

The Service Provided
The Beaver Den B&B brings its service to alumni, visiting family, prospective students/athletes, and professors by providing a professional, fun, and creative atmosphere. These qualities are key for the successful implementation of our competitive advantages, while outsourcing non-critical functions that are not core competencies (i.e. accounting). The Beaver Den believes that it currently possesses or can develop additional core competencies critical to its success. The Beaver Den is indeed rich with Oregon State spirit. We are situated in a small, college community and has an ideal location close to campus attracting investors who are knowledgeable and faithful to Corvallis and its history. The owner/innkeeper will be able to provide quality service to our guests because of the excellent training programs provided by the local college.

Features
The Beaver Den will be renown and known for its Unique Selling Proposition (USP) or objects that the host will provide for the benefit of the guest. The Beaver Den's USP are the room themes and the "Den." Additional features such as a tour of the house and grounds, afternoon tea (beer), use of the telephone, free laundry service, credit card acceptance, and the infamous Beaver "Den" Basement are available.

The Beaver "Den"
The Beaver Den offers a generous Oregon State culture inhabiting the entire basement. It offers a great opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in a positive setting of OSU spirit. The "Den" is of the utmost importance to develop our cultural foundation of loyal customers. It is our ability to provide quality service that is both visually captivating and culturally distinctive that will prove irresistible to our target market. To visually describe the "Den" requires an obsessive outlook on school spirit. Completely filled from top to bottom with orange and black beaver paraphernalia. Complete with a tournament sized pool table tailored with the insignia of Oregon States mascot, the beaver, leather couch's, large screen TV, and local brewers beer on tap. This USP is a fundamental characteristic attracting visitors to our services.

Service Description
Beaver Den B&B intends to open a relaxing facility offering activities to be enjoyed by any tourist who wishes to experience the university spirit, heritage, scenic beauty and soft adventure available in the Willamette Valley. Our service is for the guests to enjoy the comfort outside the routine hotel stays and enjoy the provided hospitality absent from local inns. The unique ambiance at the Beaver Den will be an unforgettable experience. We hold hospitality standards at he highest level and are committed to quality in service, food preparation and sanitation, housekeeping, safety, maintenance, and grounds keeping.
In years to come, the Beaver Den intends to grow and expand its accommodations through loyal customers and University support. We are building our infrastructure so that we can replicate the service, the experience, and the environment across broader college towns.

Service Interior/Exterior
A proud characteristic separating the Beaver Den from the competition is the layout and design of our house. All furniture has been customized to the distinctive themes of the rooms with style and rooms are non-smoking. Each room is accommodated with a full bathroom, which includes special showerheads, thick towels, and bathrobes. Our suite room features a Jacuzzi as an additional feature. For room comparisons refer to Appendix B. Beaver Den is obliged to offer breakfast areas (room, dining, or porch area), a menu (Appendix A), and time of service. Additional features include a fireplace, individual room temperature controls, and refrigerator space. The recent renovations to the exterior of the house added a porch, a deck, picnic tables, BBQ, lawn, landscaping, additional outdoor furnishings and a view of Reser Stadium. It is our goal to integrate both the interior and exterior features to comfort our customer.

Accommodations
We have outlined various activities that will be integrated into a tourism package to provide both a joyful experience with an attractive cost. This will enhance various aspects of our cultural uniqueness, and showcase the scenic beauty that exists in the Northwest. A tourist motivation to take a vacation is because of the need to behold something different and create new memories. We plan to carve our market niche with emphasis being placed on accommodating OSU visitors, the natural beauty of the area, and the customized rooms including the "Den." The Beaver Den's location is exactly 1 hour and a half from either the beaches of the West Coast or the snow-capped mountains of the Cascade Range.

Research & Development
What begins as a customized version of a standard service, tailored to the needs of the local visitors, can become a niche service that will fill customers needs. Ongoing R & D activities are a continuous work in process. An essential element the Beaver Den has benefited from is understanding its competitors through R&D and differentiating themselves away from those boring qualities they so commonly possess. Concentration will be on maintaining quality and establishing a strong identity in the local market. Our identity becomes the source of "critical mass" upon which expansion, advertising, and success are based. The distinctive culture and rare atmosphere will entice visitors, the scenic beauty will encourage them to stay and the experience will make them never want to leave.

Special Activities
· Organized campus tours of Oregon State University
· Wine tours of Willamette Valley Wineries
· Sports packages with room accommodations
· Available private party packages
· Information regarding "Things To Do"


Operations
The Beaver Den is a private, owner-occupied residence in which the frequency and volume of B&B visitors are the primary use of the building as a private residence. Visitors provide supplemental income for the operations and host. The Beaver Den operates under the jurisdiction of the State of Oregon and the United States of America as a sole proprietorship.

Human Resources
The key personnel for the Beaver Den will be the live-in host (potentially owner) preferably from the local area. The advantage of owning and being the sole owner is expenses such as interest on your home, lights, heat, water, phone, insurance, operating your car, food supplies, magazines, cleaning supplies and more may be tax deductible.

The management team will consist of the owner and/or host. In the Beaver Den B&B business, you are both manager and employee. As a manager, you plan, implement, direct policies and procedures, and evaluate the effectiveness of the business operation. However, as an employee, you are also responsible for carrying out the following activities involved in running the B&B business: front desk operations, housekeeping, food preparation and service, promoting, guest relations and amenities.

An accountant has already been added to audit the Beaver Den during tax season. Also, a marketing/management team has been added to oversee the expansion effort both to support the growth of existing business and to execute the potential expansion strategy. Their salaries are included in the projections as contractual arrangements.

Employee Training & Education
The innkeeper will be trained not only in their specific operational duties but also in the philosophy and applications of our concept, having FUN. They will receive extensive information from a professional chef and be kept informed of the latest information on healthy eating. Special training will focus on understanding the local history of the area, acquiring an awareness of conversation, and knowing the proper procedures of servicing clients visiting.

Food Production
A big emphasis is being placed on extensive research into the quality and integrity of our product and services. They will constantly be tested for our own high standards of freshness and purity. Food costs and inventory control will be handled by our computer system and checked daily by management. All food will be prepared on the premises. The kitchen will be designed for high standards of sanitary efficiency and cleaned daily. Food will be made mostly to order and stored in large coolers in the basement.

Protection
The Beaver Den has invested in insuring their residence with homestead. Homesteading allows them to protect up to $125,000 in equity in their property in the event they are sued or face some other calamity. It is important to make the B&B as accident free and secure as possible by eliminating causes for accidents, keep recreational areas in good repair, use fire retardant fabrics and furnishings and fire and burglar detectors, safety deposit boxes, equip fireplaces with grates, etc. A fire evacuation plan is posted in every guestroom. The management team will help make sure our B&B is protected from dangers that the owner can neither foresee nor control.

Reservations
All rates are based on double occupancy. Master Card, Visa, Discover, or American Express can be accepted via e-mail or telephone. Reservations can be made online via our website. Once we take reservations via e-mail or telephone we send confirmation receipts. The bed and breakfast will be open 7 days a week and will be closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving. The Beaver Den handles reservations with the utmost importance for the ease of the customer. Discounts for first time customers and repeat customers are an attractive benefit to loyal patrons, which the Beaver Den highly supports.

Most Important Challenge
The Beaver Den forecasts high sales during the fall particularly due to the football season with our fun atmosphere and close location to Reser Stadium. The challenge is going to come in the off months when the influx of visitors (fans) is absent. In those months we are directing our attention to attracting other target markets described above.

Licenses, Permits, Codes and Insurance
The Beaver Den bed and breakfast will need a business license among other things. Being a bed and breakfast Inn, we'll be subject to food, health, fire and building codes.

Beaver Trademark Issues
Trademark issues will have to be addresses


Appendix A

Beaver Den Bed and Breakfast Menu

Hot Breakfast is served in our dining area, in your room, or on the deck weather permitting.
We always offer the first two choices and two of the remaining choices.
No one leaves The Beaver Den Bed and Breakfast hungry.
Hot oatmeal with apples, raisins, cinnamon and/or brown sugar.
Ham and Eggs with toast.
Breakfast Burritos (ham, eggs, cheese, potatoes, mushrooms, onions and garlic served in a flour tortilla with salsa)
Ham and French toast made with homemade French bread
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Blueberry Pancakes
Banana Pancakes
Milk Tea Coffee Juice Toast Cold Cereal
Fresh made fruit breads & seasonal fresh fruit is also served with your meal.
Special diets? Arrangements can also be made ahead of time.

We would like to accommodate your time schedule if possible. Please indicate a desired time for breakfast.
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00
If a different time is required please make prior arrangements.


Appendix B

Beaver Den Room Comparison

Room Bed Bath TV/VCR/DVD Fireplace Rate
Benny King Jacuzzi with shower TV/VCR/DVD Yes $110
Reser Queen Shower TV No $80
Gill Queen Shower TV/VCR No $80
Pac-10 King Shower TV/DVD Yes $95
Beav's King Hand Shower TV No $90